Conveyer guide



Aug. 23, 1932. c. MORRQW 1,873,456

CONVEYER GUIDE Filed Oct. 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 23, 1932. C M RROW 1,873,456

CONVEYER GUIDE Filed Oct. 25. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNirsn STATES ranian-c. MORRQW, or wnrmsron, OHIO CONVEYER GUIDE Application filed October 25, 19301 Serial u'o.'491,296.'

This invention relates to endless conveyers of that type generally used for retarding the movement of coal from a mine opening to a tipple located at a considerable distance therebelow.

In the mountainous districts the coal is often found at an elevation several hundred feet above any point where it. is possible to build a railroad. Under these conditions it .10 has been the practice to provide a trough leading from the mine opening downwardly to a point where a tipple has been erected. In order to prevent the mined coal from traveling down this trough at too great a speed,

I a cable conveyer having regularly spaced disks has been employed for retarding the flow of the material. The lower strand of the cable with disks thereon travels in thedirection in which the coal is moving, sheaves ber ing provided at the ends of the trough for the purpose of properly guiding the conveyer and for transmitting motion thereto. The weight of the moving coal frequently provides almost enough power to actuate the retarding cable provided the trough is straight from end to end or has a concaved portion with a radius of not less than one thousand feet. However, in those localities where it is necessary to use a trough having one or more humps due to the fact that a portion of the trough is inclined less than another portion therebelow the resistance oflered to the upward travel ofthe upper strand of the cable due to friction at the humps has been sogreat as to require the expenditure of much more power than is desirable in order to operate the conveyer. v

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of supporting mecha-- nism for the upper. strand of acable conveyer at those places where said strand iscompelled to travel over humps.

Another object is to provide a mechanism of this character which will be properly geared at all times to the conveyer so that there will be no danger of the said mechanism getting out of properly timed relation with the conveyer and causing breakage or other injury to the apparatus.

With the foregoing and other objects in are regularly spaced view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in-the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it beingunderstood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention PATENT oFFicEf scope of what is claimed, without departing from thespirit of the" invention.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention has been shown. In saiddrawings: Figure 1 is a side elevationmore or less in diagram showing troughs equippedi with a cable conveyer guided at a hump by the mechanismconstituting the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side-elevation of the guiding mechanism showing a portion of the upper strand of a conveyer in engagement therewith. v V

@ Figure 3 is plan view of the structure shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4. is an enlarged section on line 44: Figurel; 1 I

Figure 5 is a' vertical transverse section through the conveyer at an intermediate point such as indicated, forexample, by the line 55 in Figure 1, a portion of the supporting structure and housing of the troughsfand V conveyer being shownj 1 1 Referring to the figures by characters" of reference,-l designatesa frame work of the usual or any preferred construction erected between the mine outletand a tipple there- "below for the purpose of supportinga continuous lower trough 2 and anupper or guiding trough 3. Sheaves 4 and 5 are provided adjacent to the upper'and lower ends of the troughs and haveperipheral recesses 6 which of disks 7. 1

The disks? are secured at regular intervals to an endless cable 8 the lower strand ofwhich travels downwardly in the trough 2 while the upper strand travels upwardly in the trough 3. Any suitable power mechanism, indicated generally at 9-, can be used for drivingthe sheave 4 so that the lower strand of the cable conveyer will move within the trough 2 at a predetermined speed. Thus 7 coal delivered G apart for the reception into the trough 2 at its upper end can only move downwardly therein at the same speed as the conveyer because the disks willact as retarders, I V

It can be readily seen that where the troughs are strai ht from end to end very littlepowerwillbe required toaetuatetthe conveyer, iHowever, when the 'ttvoughsiare' necessarily provided with humps at Oneior 19 more points, the upper strand'ofthe jconveyer while traveling upwardiyovei the lmmps will produce a frictional resistance of suchahigh mnnzthe; eri her soft thesheave itiSIIIQCBSSaF what-one otthedisksibeiatflalla times-in engage- :ment with theasheaive. \Unless ithis uninterrupted enzglagement Iris :provi'ded the -c'eahle would slip onztheasheavei duringrtherimtervals -whe-n'itheadisksuare out 'ofrengagemei'it therewith andpasra;resuitgthediskswvouldnot-enter the peripheral recesses aproviided :ifer them. Obviously this wou l'd eresult in breakage or 1otherinjnlry tofitheiapparatus. 7

111 rdentopmperlygflidethe up per stnand of theconveyenover axh ump andeati the-same itime. prevent slipp ageidf;thezconveyenrelative totits; gui ding? means :a: speeiali form .ofzgappairatns has been :devised. iThisiinclrudes "La series of sheaves 10 the peripheraliportionsiof whiohxaresso'shaped aszto embrace'iamd-prd perly engage" the upper: strand a of the veyerxcahle wwvhere iit ;passes 2 over the thump. These sheaves are located in a break 'lorggap 3 ;provided-- in trough 31at the hump as shown at :1'1: and formed in the peripheryrofeeachsheave are gaps r12 whichvraremegnlarly'spacedssoms nzto meceive ethefdisk'si'i mas: the seable 81' moves 7' rupwardly.

The shafts 13 of theaslreavesr'ean:berjour snaled ,1 in :a-wsui-table frame :14 i andrreachof them -is;providecl with asgear-lt. Intermediatmgears :16 are supported tbetween the agears I5rand1 mesh "with them so that when powerris applied to any one. of therl'gea-rs r -ihei remaining igears 315 will rotated'iiin "unison".th -1-,rewith. V

:The; gaps '12:in1the-=several:zsheaves iareiso .'.ipositioned: that during the: movement-'Ufithe eab1e 8 upwardly over i the: hump cone of the disks on the cable will always belin engazge' ment with the front on advancing-wall (if one not theygaps-l thereby to exert mama .l against one of the sheaves and setup assimultaneous I"IOta|tiOI1%1Of fall of: the isheaves. .As :one disk {passes out:ofcontact'with'ione=wall ofa gap another. diskis moving into contact with :one

@wall @of aanether 1 gap Lin zone iof :the other esheaves.

Ehe iforegoing ioperationzwillzbeapparent of a gap in. one end of a sheave. At the same time disk 0 has been released and is moving routwardly from-the gap: in; whieh it had been eexertingaa'tthrust. As the.;various disks are brought to position at the hump they will all be brought successively into operative en- "gagem-entwithawall of a gap in one of the the con'veyer to slip on the sheaves. Instead, the ieonveyerzis aeonstan'tly' geared to the sheavesand accurate entry of the disksinto nthergaps i'sainsured; T: I 'Whatisclairnedis:

-seriesof sheaves so that it is impossible for :1. The combination with 2 an endless "cable I,

:roonveyer i having regularly spacerl (disks, vof means for holding in an elevatedipositionian intermediate portion :01. =.one strand of the cconveyer, 'isaid means including o: alining :sheaveshaving peripheral diskcreceivingt gaps wand driving connections betweenuthe: sheaves spaced rfremaand out "0t Iengagementi-withethe JCDIIVGYGQ': said "disks and sheaves beingro'mov- -f=ablei=n properly timed relationitoimaintaiin a yoon'stantly :zgeared connection rhetween e iconveyeridishs'iand the-sheaves;

l 2. :Thea combination with an .i endless Qoable I 'oonveyer: having regularlys'spacetldiskfiixed thereto, of means sfor supporting-wand guiil- Y sing nan intermediate portion f. of .0116 of Lt'he strandsofi the'sconveyer, said means includi ing a group ofe'separatea conveyer' engaging fish-eaves eachqh'aving peripheral gaps,1ia-nd pd'riving connections: betweenithe sheaveszand spaced afmmathe "conveyer rfiortinsuringtrotaatio-ni thereof lIlY'llH'iSOttl, said disks cooperating with the walls 'ofrth'e rgaps to: maintainiiacon- :r'stantc driving "connection between theiconveywen-andthe'sheaves. v

3 3. The combination with an endless K cable 'conveyer having regulnarlyespace'd idisks,' 'of emeans 1 for: supporting: and .guidingmni mediaterportion: of one ofthe: strand siieftthe Jconveyer, said. means including group :of 1

eseparate :sheaves having jperiphenal ilgaps i forpthereception of the' diskspand; gears'lout of the: path; ofcthe' 'c'onveyer forrtnausmitting motion between :the i sheaves Etc '1 rotate the sheaves simultaneously and at the samespe'ed, :-the disks cooperating with the walls oi the gapsrto: maintain 1 a constant driving connec- :tion' between'ithe' conveyer and the sheaves.

"Intestimony 'that IiCl'aiIIF theife'regoiirg as my own, I have heretoaa'fiixed my signature vmaintain-fo. *MOR'ROW.

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